Welcome to this amazing time of your life! It is a time when you will chart your course toward a future filled with impact. And, It is a time when your parents reflect on how well they prepared you for your journey ahead. With all this newfound freedom, how will you approach dating? Are you prepared to be responsible, selective, wise, and patient? How can you tell whether he or she is “the one?” What are the keys to a lasting marriage? Soon you’ll be making one of the most important decisions of your life—your career. How can you find a great match and thrive in your career? What are the secrets to a great job review and in winning promotions? Do you think college academics are just like high school? Think again, because it’s a whole new world. Are you interested in learning about a study method will help you take exams with supreme confidence and perform at your best? Are you prepared to be a wise manager of your money? What are the keys to successful investing and to building your wealth? How can you live within a realistic budget and avoid the debt trap that’s destroying families? What is the source of your moral compass and how do you approach questions of an eternal nature? What are the elements of a meaningful spiritual life? How will you handle life’s greatest hardships?
  • How will I measure "success" in my life?
  • What character traits will I model to others?
  • How will I build strong relationships and work effectively with others?
  • What role does faith play in my life?
  • How will I persevere through life's inevitable hardships?
  • How do I become a masterful decision maker, goal setter, and time manager?
  • How will I succeed in college academics?
  • How will I select and thrive in my career?
  • How will I know he or she is "the one" and prepare for a lasting marriage?
  • How will I achieve my financial goals and manage my money?
  • How will I measure "success" in my life?
  • What character traits will I model to others?
  • How will I build strong relationships and work effectively with others?
  • What role does faith play in my life?
  • How will I persevere through life's inevitable hardships?
  • How do I become a masterful decision maker, goal setter, and time manager?
  • How will I succeed in college academics?
  • How will I select and thrive in my career?
  • How will I know he or she is "the one" and prepare for a lasting marriage?
  • How will I achieve my financial goals and manage my money?
What I Wish I Knew at 18 View Sample LessonsView Sample LessonsRead a Sample ChapterBuy The Christian Student GuideBuy The Student Guide Buy The Book
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Equipping Young Adults for Real World Success


LifeSmartADDRESSING THE NEED

Dennis Trittin founded LifeSmart Publishing to help address the life skills deficit hindering today’s younger generation. Observation and research suggests this looming crisis is rooted in several cultural and institutional forces:

    1. increasing fragmentation of family life
    2. immature or absent parenting
    3. schools viewing character/life skills as the domain of parents and therefore focusing primarily on traditional subject matter; parents incorrectly assume schools are fully covering key life subjects (e.g., finance)
    4. inadequate youth employment opportunities
    5. harmful cultural messages from the media and entertainment industries

The end result is that our society is producing a generation of young adults largely unprepared to negotiate life, develop and maintain healthy life-long relationships, demonstrate honorable and effective leadership, build stable households, and succeed in a--- Read More
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12 Tips for Getting the Most from a Mentor

5/19/2012 9:51:14 AM

I was fortunate to be mentored by two pioneers in the investment consulting industry, Madelyn Smith and Duncan Smith. They were simply amazing, not only as investment pros, but more so as people. I was in awe of them because of their incredible wisdom about work and life. Despite their many responsibilities and heavy workloads, they always took time to mentor me. I took advantage of every learning opportunity with them. I believe this was key to my career success, and I’m forever grateful --- Read More
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Commit to Your Financial Literacy

5/14/2012 7:32:12 AM

“I don’t know about you, but where I went to school, Money Management 101 wasn’t offered. Instead we learned about the War of 1812, which of course is something I use every single day.”   ~T. Harv Eker from Secrets of the Millionaire Mind   In all of my years I’ve never taken an Art History course. I have nothing against the subject, per se; I’ve simply focused my learning in other areas. I know I couldn’t possibly appreciate the majesty --- Read More
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Choose Your Friends Wisely

5/1/2012 8:27:35 PM

  Part of the ascent to adulthood is the transition from having your parents “pick” (or have a say in) who your friends are to making those choices yourself. How wisely you make those decisions can have significant implications for your life.   While many of the people you meet out in the world will be good people and potential friend-material, you need to know that we ALL encounter people who can be nothing short of destructive. These people can be negative and/or critica--- Read More
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The Vision Grows: Reflections on Our One-Year Anniversary

4/30/2012 10:45:55 AM

  It’s been a little over a year since the release of What I Wish I Knew at 18: Life Lessons for the Road Ahead, and I have to say there’s nothing like the experience of writing and launching a book. You put your heart and soul into it, not knowing how it will be received. Your hopes are high that readers will respond enthusiastically but the fact is, until it’s out there, you just don’t know!   My anticipation was even greater as two accompanying student g--- Read More
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Build Your Value and Win Promotions

4/23/2012 11:28:36 PM

You’ve heard the saying, “Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.” When it comes to your career, your value is in the eyes of your employer!  I had a somewhat unique reputation during my career. I was an investment leader who knew how to market the firm to sales prospects. Consequently, while performing well on my investment job, I also helped our sales professionals land new accounts. This had a direct impact on our profits, which caught the attention of the business lead--- Read More
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Give Everything Your Best

4/17/2012 2:06:14 PM

“I long to accomplish great and noble tasks, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble.” Helen Keller   Are you committed to excellence in everything you do?   Some of life’s best lessons are found in the sports world (at least I think so). I distinctly recall some years ago a professional basketball player who had an amazing year. By all accounts, he was grossly underpaid relative to his teammates. He always gave it his b--- Read More
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Invest in Your Spiritual Growth

4/8/2012 10:32:42 PM

Humans are, by their very nature, spiritual beings. Surveys routinely indicate that 80-90% of people believe in God and Heaven, in one way or another.   What’s involved in having a meaningful spiritual life? People of faith often describe their faith as offering: - Comfort and hope in the midst of uncertainty and anguish- Answers to questions of an eternal nature- A place to turn with gratitude, praises, and needs- A guide to daily living, a moral compass and source of accountability---- Read More
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Choose Reconciliation over Grudges

4/3/2012 11:53:43 PM

It’s sad to say, but most of us have been deeply wronged or hurt at some point in our lives. In some cases, we’ve been victims of others’ mistakes. In other cases, we’re victims of bad behavior or deeds by another. Or, and perhaps most commonly, we’ve been involved in relationships that dissolved or have been severely damaged.   Regardless of the source, our emotions can include anger, resentment, shame, guilt, pain, fear, and depression.   In one of my al--- Read More
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Choose Reconciliation over Grudges

4/3/2012 11:50:59 PM

It’s sad to say, but most of us have been deeply wronged or hurt at some point in our lives. In some cases, we’ve been victims of others’ mistakes. In other cases, we’re victims of bad behavior or deeds by another. Or, and perhaps most commonly, we’ve been involved in relationships that dissolved or have been severely damaged.   Regardless of the source, our emotions can include anger, resentment, shame, guilt, pain, fear, and depression.   In one of--- Read More
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Learn to Speak Comfortably in Front of Groups

3/26/2012 10:43:11 AM

  When asked to identify their greatest fear, guess which one people most frequently mention? Public speaking in front of an audience! Unfortunately, it’s an important skill that is all-too-often deemphasized in schools, which is why many people don't end up mastering it (if ever) until they're adults and required to make public presentations in college or the workplace.   One reason we we're reluctant to "put ourselves out there" in front of a crowd is our fear of saying somethi--- Read More
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Preserve Your Reputation and Integrity at all Costs

3/18/2012 6:33:33 PM

What is a prized possession you can never get back once you lose it?   The answer is your reputation.   At some point in your life, your values will be challenged and possibly even ridiculed by others. It’s especially common in the years after high school when you’re facing all that newfound independence. You also may face situations in your career where shortcuts are tempting and ethical situations are gray.   Will you have the moral courage to withstand the pressure--- Read More
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